Lars Lien – Luckbox – A better betting product for esports #ESILondon

29 August 2018

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As a relatively new betting handle, esports fans are embracing the markets of their favourite games – but could they be enhanced? Esports is a betting product that enjoys its own tailor-made content, however, there’s the question of whether the best practices and tools are still too limiting to culminate better engagement from its audience.

Esports betting platform, Luckbox, is one of those companies at the forefront with designs of improving each esports punter’s experience. Ahead of his panel at ESI London (18-20th September), we got to catch up with Luckbox CEO Lars Lien. Lien will be speaking on the session titled ‘Building the betting product esports fans want’; this is part of the esports betting track on September 20th. 

Esports Insider: First off, congratulations on the acquisition of your OGRA license. How important was it for Luckbox to obtain this licence, and how will it affect your roadmap now moving forward?

Lars Lien: Receiving the OGRA licence from one of the most respected gaming regulators in the world is a tremendous step in our journey. 

Luckbox CEO Lars Lien

“This means customers can rest assured we will at all times honour our obligations towards them..”

This means customers can be rest assured that we will at all times honour our obligations towards them, something we know is an ongoing problem among the under/unlicensed parts of the industry.

It’s shocking to see some of the current scandals, and I question the legal due diligence, corporate governance and motivation of many other operators in this space. Very few have made a commitment to the highest standards of jurisdiction for esports, gaining approval from the only regulator which requires full protection of all player funds at all times.

We will seek to educate our business partners and consumers on the risks of working with less scrupulous actors (commonly identified by poor licensing), in an efforts providing benefits for everyone involved. Luckbox (and other legitimate sites), business partners, consumers and the esports scene as a whole.

ESI: You’ll be speaking at our ‘Building the betting product esports fans want’ panel at ESI London – what was it about this topic that compelled you to talk about it at the conference?

Lars: Integrity and regulation. It might seem bland, but it is integral to the success of esports and esports betting.

it is imperative we raise awareness of the benefits and reduced risks of working with legitimate actors.”

Betting will always exist on any competitive event and betting is always associated with potential risks such as match fixing, and it is imperative we raise awareness of the benefits and reduced risks of working with legitimate actors.

The alternative to working with legitimate actors is effectively to let the unscrupulous ones run free, something that will continue to seriously undermine esports.

Building the betting product esports fans want

Are current betting products too limited for esports consumers?

Esports as an industry prides itself on tailor-made content and innovative ways of bridging the engagement between provider and consumer.

Are betting providers building the products esports fans want, and the products they need or are the fundamental best practices and tools still too limiting to allow for better engagement from the esports community?

Confirmed Speakers

  • Lars Lien – CEO – Luckbox
  • Suraj Gosai – CEO – BlinkPool
  • Nasim Abu Qouta – Brand Partnerships – DreamHack
  • Fabian Humbert – CMO – Pixelbet

ESI: What do you anticipate will be the biggest takeaway from this panel?

Lars: I believe we will see many different approaches and thoughts on what “Building the betting product esports fans want” actually means. There are a number of areas where evolution and innovation is necessary, and it will be interesting to see what the rest of the competition thinks.

ESI: Do you think the currents esports betting products are too limited for its consumer base? How can we improve the betting handle as a whole?

Lars: Better products! Let’s move away from the spreadsheet-inspired approaches and take lessons from games. 

Luckbox are one of our partners for ESI London

You can get 20% off at checkout by using the code ESIAUG

Check the agenda in full right here